Pastor Adeboye’s security remarks spark debate, aide defends position

By Olayinka Latona

The leadership of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has defended Pastor Enoch Adeboye’s recent comments on Nigeria’s security situation, insisting the General Overseer was calling for greater accountability rather than absolving the government of responsibility.

In a statement titled “Pastor Adeboye Deserves Fair Hearing, Not Unfair Criticism,” the Continental Overseer of RCCG Continent 3, Pastor Johnson Odesola, said many Nigerians had focused on isolated excerpts instead of the substance of Adeboye’s address at the US–Nigeria Faith Heroes Award Gala in Washington, D.C.

“When a wise man points at the moon, only a fool stares at the finger,” Odesola said in the eighth instalment of his series, The Puzzle Called Nigeria, lamenting what he described as the tendency to react to social media clips rather than the full context of the speech.

The controversy followed Adeboye’s remark that “You don’t expect the President to wear khaki and go and fight,” which critics interpreted as a defence of President Bola Tinubu’s handling of worsening insecurity.

Responding to the criticism, Odesola said those who listened to the entire speech would understand that Adeboye did not minimise the country’s security challenges.

According to him, the cleric acknowledged that terrorism, banditry and kidnapping had spread from northern Nigeria to parts of the South, stressing that his comment about the Commander-in-Chief was simply a statement of constitutional responsibility rather than an excuse for poor performance.

“What critics ignored was Pastor Adeboye’s disclosure that he personally advised President Tinubu to issue military commanders a clear ultimatum: eliminate terrorism within 90 days or resign,” Odesola said.

“That sounds less like defending failure and more like demanding accountability. Far from defending incompetence, Pastor Adeboye challenged those responsible for national security to produce results.”

Odesola also addressed criticism on social media, saying many reactions were based on short video clips rather than the cleric’s complete address.

“No American President personally leads troops into battle. No British Prime Minister commands military operations from the trenches. Political leaders provide direction, while military professionals execute operations,” he said.

He further highlighted Adeboye’s emphasis on tackling those financing terrorism, describing it as one of the strongest aspects of the cleric’s intervention.

“Terrorists do not operate in isolation. They require money, weapons, logistics, intelligence and political protection. Every insurgent group survives because powerful individuals somewhere are financing its operations,” Odesola said.

On concerns that religious leaders should refrain from commenting on national security, Odesola argued that faith leaders have a responsibility to speak on issues affecting society.

Drawing from biblical examples, he cited Moses confronting Pharaoh, Nathan challenging King David and Daniel advising kings in Babylon.

“A genuine spiritual leader does more than preach sermons on Sundays. He prays for his nation, counsels leaders, comforts the hurting and speaks truth whenever necessary,” he said.

He concluded by urging Nigerians to focus on meaningful discussions rather than political controversies, noting that insecurity has left many families bereaved, displaced farmers and orphaned children.

“Nigeria’s insecurity is too painful and too costly for us to reduce every conversation to political warfare,” Odesola said.

“Nigeria needs fewer manufactured controversies and more sincere conversations. We need less outrage and more wisdom. We need fewer attempts to score political points and more determination to defeat those who daily shed innocent blood.”

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